CONTROL OF RABBITS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 27 July 1928, Page 9

CONTROL OF RABBITS.

MINISTER EXPLAINS NEW PROVISIONS. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 26. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. to-day tbp Hon. 0. J. Hawken moved the second reading of the Rabbit Nuisance Bill. He said there were some who held, the •opinion that the farming of wild rabbits was a payable proposition, but there was always a dan gar tha t such a practice might get out of hand. At present they had the nuisance down to a point where it could be controlled, me instanced the clearance made in tire Wairarapa, which had l been •practically neared, and geinaral'y in the last two years as a result of the good work done by the boards, further progress had been made all over tlie Dominion. As to the Bill itself, it made a good many changes in the existing law. The Bill gave power to the Agricultural Department or a rabbit board, when ob lig-ed) to undertake the rabbiting of a property because of thei owner's megfiect to do so, to collect and sell the skints, giving the owner credit foir 75 per cent, of the net prooeedis. The protection of any animal which is a natural enemy c;f the' rabbit is at present Dominionwide, but it is proposed to limit it to specified districts. Authority isrto be given to keep under proper restriction Angora, and other rabbits carrying valuable fur. Fairly cnsiidorable- changes in the law are proposed in connection with rabbit boards’ but they are designed to meet the pre-sent-day requirements of boards a.s represented. by their association. There are now three distinct kinds of boards, but if the Bill' passes there will be only one kind. New hoards will' be able io levy theiir rates on any one of the bases now applying to the three different kinds of boards.

The Bill provides that all existing boards shall" inure and that both new and existing hoards may change their harts of rating from a, .stock basis to a rateable' value or acreage basils', from -a rateable value basis to an acreage basis or vice versa, but not from a. rateable value or acreage basis to a stack basis. In every case a poll of the ratepayers will determine the form. The subsidy in the case of existing boards is not to be changed, the only alteration in this direction being that in future boards formed with a. smaller area than 20,000 acres wifi not receive ni sul-iridv. The general election of hoards is to take place on the same day ns the country elections. Boards are to be given cower to raise loans. Most of the amendments made in the Bill have been asked for l>v rabbit boards for some years. The Bill was read a second time and referred to the Stock and Agricultural Committee.